


Recording History

by out_there



Category: West Wing
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-03-02
Updated: 2004-03-02
Packaged: 2017-10-07 15:50:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/66653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/out_there/pseuds/out_there
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"There are certain things that stand out every time he reads a biography of the Bartlet administration."<br/>(Josh-centric ficlet.  Future fic.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Recording History

There are certain things that stand out every time Josh reads a biography of the Bartlet administration. The President's MS is always mentioned within the first page, frequently in the second or third paragraph. The Vice President's indiscretions, both Vice Presidents' indiscretions, are generally on the third page and occasionally on the fifth.

Of course, there are always later chapters to go into these transgressions in greater detail. That's where the more personal catastrophes are discussed.

There's always a reference to Toby's illegitimate, but adorable, children and the bold political attitudes of their mother. Congressman Seaborn's early sex scandals are always cited snidely, intimating further misdeeds. Both of these are frequently used as examples of the way the administration dealt with the press and the public, of CJ's poised and professional manner.

In spite of everything, some phrases inevitably make him cringe. Every book mentions Rosslyn and its effect on the morale of the administration, but it's the occasional references to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that make him uneasy. He still can't believe that one book actually used _The Secret Plan to Fight Inflation_ as a chapter heading.

The book in front of him has all of the expected disgraces and disasters, and even has the rare cringe-inducing phrase. But he can also see the generosity, kindness and respect within its pages, which is probably why he's enjoying it so much.

"It's only a draft," Will said when he passed it to him. Eyes wide and uncertain, Will's fingers fiddled with his glasses, with the pages of the manuscript, with anything around him, as he stood there. "It still has errors, probably lots of them, but... I thought it would be better for everyone to read it before it was published. Just in case any of the errors were factual, political ones, I guess."

He's keeping notes as he reads it. They were supposed to be political notes, to clarify points that Will wouldn't understand, that he hadn't been there to experience, but Josh underestimated him. The notebook is actually filled with favorite page numbers scribbled down, the occasional _great_,_ exactly _and _brilliant _written near them. The writing is clever and concise; easy to read but never over-simplified.

It's the type of book that Josh would have loved in college, the type he would have read over and over again, until there were creases in the spine for his favorite chapters and he knew the political strategies inside out. It's the type of book that Josh won't keep in his living room bookcase, because that's generally for show. It will live with his other favorite books in a messy stack on his desk, with its pages turned and creased, and with post-it notes sticking out.

He just needs to remember to tell Will that.


End file.
